JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new lab at Florida State College at Jacksonville is giving students a chance to learn advanced manufacturing on a scale and with a level of automation that make it the first of its kind in Florida.
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The lab’s size and fully automated setup set it apart, said Chris Lee, FSCJ’s associate dean of engineering and industry. Students can practice with the kinds of technology and processes used in semiconductor manufacturing — learning from mistakes in a training environment before stepping onto a factory floor.
“Here, they learn about electricity. They learn about pneumatics. They learn quality control, AI inspection,” Lee said. Training also includes programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, robotics, mechatronics, and autonomous vehicles.
Semiconductors are made from silicon, a material found in sand, and are used to make computer chips. Those chips are in everyday products including phones, cars and televisions.
Lee said the goal is to help attract semiconductor companies to Northeast Florida while preparing people for high-paying jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of chip production: shortages contributed to higher prices and delayed manufacturing, he said.
Training for more than semiconductors
The skills students learn in the lab can also apply to other advanced manufacturing workplaces. Lee said similar equipment and processes are used in industries ranging from beverages and pharmaceuticals to cars and consumer goods.
He pointed to local employers including Anheuser-Busch, Bacardi, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Vistakon.
The lab is also intended to introduce younger students to the field. During a girls’ STEM camp, middle schoolers programmed a system to move a part between stations, then used a light and image to identify where it should go.
“They’re very inquisitive,” Lee said. “This type of environment allows them to ask those questions, make those mistakes and learn along the way.”
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